Musical instrument with piano keyboard

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to musical instruments with pianokeyboard, preferably such of a smaller size. Such small-size instruments have been relatively unusual and were manufactured in a very small number. The reason of this probably was the expensiveness of manufacturing the striking mechanism and the requirement of repeated service. The tuning of a piano is a complicated procedure and in many cases did not prove to be of any greater stability. In those cases when the piano mechanism was reduced in size, the risk of wear and expensive service was remarkably great.

United States Patent 1191 Sjostrand et al.

[ MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH PIANO KEYBOARD [75] Inventors: Gunnar Sjostrand, Atvidaberg; Einar Jansson, Motala, both of Sweden [73] Assignee: Musikindustriell Forskning Mifo AB, Linkoping, Sweden 221 Filed: Jan. 28, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 437,084

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 304,876, Nov. 8, 1972.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 Mar. 25, 1975 3,230,921 l/1966 Spiegel 84/404 3,563,125 2/1971 Brolaso 84/404 3,633,453 1/1972 Musser 84/403 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 94,390 1/1939 Sweden 84/403 7,525 3/1912 United Kingdom 84/404 Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Tomsky Assistant Examiner-Vit W. Miska Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Pollock, Philpitt & Vande Sande 57 ABSTRACT This invention relates to musical instruments with piano-keyboard, preferably such of a smaller size. Such small-size instruments have been relatively unusual and were manufactured in a very small number. The reason of this probably was the expensiveness of manufacturing the striking mechanism and the requirement of repeated service. The tuning of a piano is a complicated procedure and in many cases did not prove to be of any greater stability. In those cases when the piano mechanism was reduced in size. the risk of wear and expensive service was remarkably great.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 4 PATENTED MAR 2 5 [975 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH PIANO KEYBOARD This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 304,876, filed Nov. 8, 1972.

The present musical instrument relates to instruments of stave or bar type which are previously known. The bars may be, for example, of wood or metal and they mostly were placed loosely on a resonance-box with some suitable intermediate layer for sound reasons.

A great problem at the manufacture of instruments of the aforesaid type has been the fastening arrangement for the bars. According to the present invention the bars are placed between a resilient material and two frames, which may be of wood or metal. The soft material between the frames preferably consists of rubber tubes or rubber cords or the like, which retain all bars in a definite position. In this way the bars need not be provided with holes for pins or the like, which renders the manufacture cheaper and, besides, reduces the risk of undesirable side sounds. This is particularly important in cases with electronic amplification of the signal.

At musical instruments of this type also the damping mechanism has been a great problem. According to the present invention, this problem has been solved by damping one end of the sound source, i.e. the bar. This damping is more effective than that applied to the larger surfaces. Further, according to the invention the damping material is bound directly to the key or the extension of the key lever, and according to the invention which renders the manufacture cheaper and reduces at the mounting the risk-of clearance and other complications. At previously known constructions it was just the adjustment of damping which has proved to be a highly complicated operation step requiring people of high skill. Atthe instrument according to the invention, a pedal can bearranged to actuate all damping means so that these are released from the sound source by a lifting mechanism.

Another problem at instruments of this kind has been the striking resistance. For children of younger age and for beginners the key resistance should be less than for adults, in order to prevent strains in the hands and early tiring. It may be mentioned that instruments in the 18th century yielded a substantially lower key resistance than modern pianos and concert grand pianos and, therefore,'one can assume that great composers of that time were able to start their piano studies already at an age of three or four years without risk of finger cramp. The key resistance was about 50 grams, which usually is called action pressure. The return resistance, i.e. when the key depressed, was only a few grams.

When in about 1830 the so-called double repitition mechanisms were invented by the Erard factories, repitition play of the same tones was facilitated, but at the same time the striking resistance was increased. This rendered rapid passage playing more difficult and readily produced strains in the hands, particularly of young children and adults having hands of low strength.

According to the present invention it is possible to satisfy individual demands and to adapt the instruction to special target groups.

One embodiment of the invention which has proved particularly expedient is illustrated in the attached drawings, in which the damping is effected entirely'without link functions,

FIG. 1 shows a lateral view of a key system according to the inventin, with the keys in normal position,

FIG. 2 shows the same keys in depressed position,

FIG. 3 shows a detail view of the FIGS. 1 and 2, with the position assumed by the details at depressed pedal.

In the drawings, 1 designates the key proper and 2 the bending beam, about which the key pivots. Each key is provided with a hammer 3 mounted on a spring 4. This construction is previously known.

The key lever is provided at its other end with a holder 5, to which a damping material 6, for example in the form of a rubber tube, rubber cord or rubber cloth or the like, is attached. This material is fastened at its other end on a rotary block, a so-called damper frame 7, and is pivotal about an axle 8. Said damper frame 7 is further provided with an arm 9 abutting a pedal rod 10.

The sound source in this case is a steel bar 11, which in its nodes is fastened on a tone table 12 consisting of two wood plates or of plates of another suitable material.

For rendering possible free pivotal movement of the bar in its nodes, the bar is retained in its position by a soft material 13, which at the embodiment shown consists of a rubber cord of suitable quality. At the embodiment shown in the drawing also an electronic amplification 14 is indicated in a schematic way.

On the underside of key 1 is shown a device for adjusting the resistance of the key at its depression. This device hereinafter is called action control and it comprises a spring 18 tending to lift the key and a hinged guide block 16 pivotal about an axle 15. In FIG. 2 is indicated in a schematic way how the block 16 can be adjusted to different positions by means of an eccentric 19, which in this case acts via a transmission 190. In this way the pressure of the spring 17 against the key in the point 18 can be adjusted to different demands.

FIG; 1, thus shows the key in non-operative position and the damping means, in this case a rubber cord 6. abuts the end point ofthe steel bar 11. In FIG. 2 the key has been stroken, and the hammer 3 has stroken against the sound generating steel bar at the same time as the damping I6 is lifted aside by the key lever. As soon as the key returns to its starting position, the damping 6 sinks down and damps the tone.

In FIG. 3 is shown how this damping means 6 is lifted aside when the pedal rod 10 by depression of the pedal is lifted up whereby the damper frame 7 pivots about its axle 3 and lifts all damping means out of the damping position. The sound source is hereby released. The arrangement according to the invention provides the very great advantage that the tone table 12 with the sound generating bars 11 can be pre-fabricated in the factory, and that the left-hand edge (in the Figure) of the steel bars or wood bars can be accurately aligned so that this unit only is to be mounted in the right place in order to make all staves 11 fit in to corresponding damping means, which, of course, also were aligned. This provides a very simple mounting without any troubles of subsequent adjusting.

A further fineness at the embodiment shown is that the stop member for the key which previously usually has been a felt shoulder and has shown the disadvantage of becoming gradually compressed, is replaced by a rubber cord 20 or the like, which yields a uniform and comfortable counter-pressure when the key is being depressed.

What we claim is: l. A musical instrument of the kind having a piano keyboard comprising:

an elongate tone generating vibratory element for each key of the keyboard,

damping means for each said vibratory element com prising a soft, flexible, elongate member,

damping control means common to all said keys and selectively movable between damping and nondamping positions,

means for selectively moving said elongate damping elements into or out of contact with the respectively associated tone generating elements,

said last-named means including first means connectiong a first end portion of each said elongate ported between its said first and second end portions. 4 a 

1. A musical instrument of the kind having a piano keyboard comprising: an elongate tone generating vibratory element for each key of the keyboard, damping means for each said vibratory element comprising a soft, flexible, elongate member, damping control means common to all said keys and selectively movable between damping and non-damping positions, means for selectively moving said elongate damping elements into or out of contact with the respectively associated tone generating elements, said last-named means including first means connectiong a first end portion of each said elongate damping member to a respective key and second means for connecting the opposite end portion of said elongate damping member to said damping control means, actuation of said damping control means being effective to move all said elongate damping members out of contact with their respective tone generating elements and actuation of any key being effective to move only the associated damping member out of contact with its associated tone generating element.
 2. The musical instrument of claim 1 in which said elongate damping element is string-like and is unsupported between its said first and second end portions. 